The SAT is a required standardized exam for high school students. Doing well on the SAT, combined with a strong GPA, can lead to good college prospects for high school students when they graduate.[1] Before you can prepare for the SAT, you will need to determine your SAT schedule and register for the SAT by your junior year of high school.

Steps

Part 1

Determining Your SAT Schedule

1

Create an SAT plan if you are in your freshman year. If you are in your first year of high school, you can start to prepare yourself for the SAT by creating an SAT plan. This could be an outline of high school courses you will need to take to get into college, according to the course levels offered at your high school, and when you plan to take your SAT in your junior or senior year.[2]

During your freshman year, you can start to think about taking SAT Subject Tests in your sophomore year, which are hour long tests that focus on specific subject areas. The SAT Subject Tests will allow you to distinguish yourself when you get to the college admission process in your senior year and provide a more complete picture of your academic background. There are 20 SAT Subject Tests given in five subject areas: English, history, languages, math, and science.[3]

2

Take SAT Subject Tests if you are in your sophomore year. If you are taking any courses that relate to the SAT Subject Tests in your second year of high school, you should consider taking the SAT Subject Tests. You should plan to take the applicable SAT Subject Test once you have finished a class in a certain subject as the subject material will be fresh in your mind.[4]

Consider taking the SAT in the spring of your junior year. Most high school students take the SAT twice, once in their junior year and once in their senior year. Taking the SAT twice will allow you to improve upon your initial score and give you a better chance at a high overall SAT score. You should take the SAT in the spring of your junior year so you have time to prepare for the SAT during the first half of the school year.[5]

You can take the SAT or up to three SAT Subject Tests on one test day. If you decide to take both types of tests, you will need to do so on different days.

If you feel your initial scores on the SAT in your junior year are high, you can send them to colleges you are interested in attending and to scholarship programs. This can be seen as a sign of interest and may qualify you for campus visits programs and information sessions in your area. You may also be considered for scholarships and funding through certain college admission programs.

4

Plan on taking the SAT again in your senior to improve your scores. If you are not satisfied with your junior year SAT scores, you can plan to take the SAT a second time. Most seniors do this at the beginning of the senior year. Often, students who take the SAT more than once can improve their score.[6]

You can access the My SAT Online Score Report online to determine your strengths and the areas you need to improve on for the SAT.[7]

You can also decide if you want to take the SAT Subject Tests again in your senior year to improve your scores for these tests.

Once you complete your SAT a second time, and earn scores you are happy with, you should send your SAT scores to colleges and universities by December or January to ensure you meet the application deadlines.

Part 2

Enrolling in the SAT

1

Make sure you register three to four weeks before the test date. The SAT is offered seven Saturdays a year. If you cannot attend a Saturday test date due to religious reasons, there are also Sunday test dates available. Most registration deadlines for the SAT are set three to four weeks before the test date. There are also late registration deadlines, which are usually two to three weeks before the test dates.[8]

The current SAT registration schedule for the U.S. is available here: http://studypoint.com/ed/sat-test-dates/. However, dates can shift every year so check the schedule and choose a date during the year you would like to take the SAT.

2

Choose online registration or mail in registration. Online registration is quick and easy. You can register online via the College Board website. You will need to create a free profile, state where you would like to take the test in the U.S., select a test date, and enroll in the test date.[9]

If you would like to register by mail, you must get an SAT Paper Registration Guide from your school’s guidance office. You will then need to complete the guide and mail it in before the registration deadline for your chosen test date.

3

Pay the registration fee. When you register online for the SAT, the only option for payment of the registration fee is via credit card. The basic SAT registration fee is $43. If you are planning on taking the SAT with Essay, the fee is $54.50. If you end up doing late registration for a test date, there is an additional fee of $28.[10]

If you are registering by mail, you can pay by check.

There is financial assistance available for students who cannot afford the registration fee in the form of a registration fee waiver. More information about the SAT fee waiver application can be found on the College Board website: https://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-fee-waivers.

4

Take the SAT on your chosen test date. Once you have paid the registration fee and received a receipt with your SAT test date, you should then prepare to take the SAT on the chosen date.

Make sure you show up for your test date. If you miss your test date without letting the SAT registration program know, you may need to re register and pay another registration fee to take the SAT at another date.

Community Q&A

If you want to select individual subjects for SAT subject tests, you should base your choices on the subjects required by your chosen college. When you're ready to register for the tests, you can go to CollegeBoard's website to create an account and register for your selected tests.